School Daze
by Poliwhirl42
Summary: REWRITTEN! When a rule that comes around every eight years forces Ash and co. to take a break from training and go back to school, just how will this entire year turn out? Written in an "episodic" format, with plenty of adventure, humor, and of course- romance. A CANON school fic. Poke/Contest/Ikari/OldRival/Quest/Breeder/Rocket/Neo-shippings and MANY more!
1. A Fresh Start

A/N: Hey, everyone! It's Poli- back from a VERY long absence on here, I know. I apologize greatly. It's a wonder sometimes what life- and seemingly hopeless writer's block- can do to you. But the good news is that I'm back and FINALLY ready to submit the first chapter of a story I've been thinking of writing for about two years! Will I finish this? Who knows? I definitely would like to, but it's not going to be easy. I mean, a canon SCHOOL fic? Yeah…but hey- that's what fanfiction is for!

Anyway, I'd like to start off by saying that ALMOST everything in this story is canon, with a few minor exceptions:

I kept Jessie, James, and Meowth they way they were BEFORE their dramatic personality change in the Unova arc. For this type of story, their original, goofy demeanors suit the plot better- especially with the positions they will be in later in the story…I know a lot of you like the new change in them, but I know a lot of you still like the "old" Team Rocket, too!

Brock is still a Pokemon Doctor, but I decided that he would still keep his Breeding dream on the side and do both.

Leaf- as in the female protagonist from the FireRed and LeafGreen games, for those who have never heard of her before- will be present in this story, but a reason for her absence in the Indigo arc will be carefully explained.

This takes place DURING the Unova arc, but happens right AFTER the episode _"The Reijuu Forms Advance! Isshu's Biggest Crisis!"_ If you're a bit of an older fan, I suggest checking up with what's currently happening in the anime to get a better understanding of the character interactions in this story.

With Number 4 being said: Sadly, characters that I've just begun to enjoy watching that are from Unova, including Burgundy, Bianca, Georgia, Stephan, Luke, and Trip (well…he annoys me a little) will not be present in this story. Hey, it's quite enough having to keep up with the storylines of all the other characters in this fic!

**UPDATE: To fit it with the canon a little bit better, I decided to change the time to AFTER the Unova-Meloetta Team Rocket arc for this story. Why? I thought it would be nice for Iris to already know Dawn, and I like how many of Ash's pokemon evolved during their time in Eastern Unova. PLUS, it makes more sense for the Rockets to be faculty in this story NOW because they're back in Kanto. The other way around doesn't make any sense…why would Giovanni send JJ&M ALL the way back to Kanto, just to teach at a school…? Although not canon (because frankly I have no idea what's going on with them right now, now that they're out of the anime for a little bit), I thought it would be a good way for Gio to bring his organization back up, after failing with the whole Meloetta thing. Other than that, and the fact that Dawn knows Iris and Cilan now, the story is pretty much the same!**

Alright, enough chatter and background info. The last thing I'd like to say is that I do not own anything involving the Pokemon franchise! Okay, good? Good. Enjoy! =D

* * *

Pink streaks of light illuminated the small, cozy room and a still silence filled the fresh morning air.

He felt a constant tugging on his left shoulder- not to mention a repetitious beeping noise and a "sucking" sound, kind of like one of Team Rocket's vacuum-like inventions.

"Pika-pi!"

"Alright, alright Pikachu," the boy chided. "I'm getting up." He turned over groggily and rubbed his eyes, getting out of bed and ignoring the sound and gestures of Mr. Mime telling him to fix the bed sheets as he vacuumed the carpet and sprayed Febreze- more than needed, that is- all over the place.

As soon as the clown-like pokemon finished vacuuming, a small giggle was heard from the doorway.

"Looks to me like someone overslept," the violet-haired girl teased. "Such a kid."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Shut up Iris," he grumbled, brown eyes still trying to adjust to the light. "I was exhausted and it's your fault for making me play twenty rounds of Poke-Bingo with you last night."

She shook her head and shrugged, giving him a wry smirk. "Whaaatever. See ya downstairs!" And with that, she trudged down the carpeted stairs, long hair flowing behind her.

Ash sighed and jumped down from his bunk bed, heading over to the wooden dresser on the other side of the room. "Time for my first day of Viridian Tech," he said, taking out a fresh pair of underwear, dark blue jeans, and a red and white short-sleeved jacket out of the top drawer. After a quick shower, he dressed himself, brushed his teeth, and ran a comb through a thick, wet mess of spiky black hair before slipping fingerless gloves on and stopping to stare at himself in the mirror. "Are you ready, Pikachu?"

"Pi-pikachu!"

The law throughout all five regions required trainers, breeders, coordinators, and anyone from ages 10-18 who wished to learn not only world languages and regular academics to battle strategies or contest training to have at least one year of schooling before they were allowed to return to traveling- not that there really _was_ anything to do if a rebellious trainer decided to drop out. The Kanto gym leaders and Elite Four were hired as teachers to train students not only in battling but teaching them to properly take care of pokemon, leaving the gyms to only be open on Saturdays and during winter and spring break. It was a requirement carried out every eight years, but the last time they'd required trainers to have an education, Ash was nine at the time and obviously had been too young to attend.

It had been almost a year since Ash had journeyed to the Unova region, met Cilan and Iris, and caught a couple of new pokemon. He became furious over the fact that he had just won his eighth badge, but to his relief, all Pokemon Leagues and Grand Festivals in each region were scheduled to be pushed forward a year to make it fair for trainers under eighteen to compete. Frustrated by the fact that his newest journey was being interrupted, Ash was determined to do the best he could in school and grow stronger in training and battling. He had to prove his dream, and this was the perfect time to work hard in order to fulfill it.

They were about to go out his bedroom door when the teen remembered something. "Just one more thing," he said, and hurriedly rushed back inside his room to retrieve something that couldn't be left behind as he was about to begin his school journey.

Pikachu stayed outside the doorway, puzzled and wondering what in the world his master had forgotten.

"Here it is," the trainer mumbled, voice muffled by clothes and hangers in the way as he reached inside his closet to grab the mysterious item.

He stepped out and grinned at Pikachu as he pulled out the object from behind his back. "Couldn't forget this," he said with a quiet chuckle.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked with delight and nostalgia as his master presented the object with care.

The white and red stitching was frayed a bit and the fabric was a bit dirty and worn down. A wispy, embroidered green shape still adorned the middle of the white area.

His first Pokemon League baseball cap.

With a smile, Ash Ketchum carefully placed his most prized possession on his head and adjusted it accordingly, the yellow rat giving its master a "Chu!" in approval.

He headed downstairs to find Cilan cooking up a storm of eggs sunny-side up and crisp bacon. Delia was busy pouring orange juice into four cups and humming to herself, while Pikachu immediately sprung off of Ash's shoulder, skittered to the PokeChow that Brock had made for him before his departure and munched contently. Iris was already seated at the table, letting Axew nibble on little scraps of her breakfast every so often. It was a cute little scene.

Delia felt his gaze and looked up to find her son decked out in the new clothes that she'd bought. "Oh Ash, you look wonderful in that outfit!" she said, smiling. "And it's nice to see you wearing your old hat again."

"Thanks," he replied, taking a seat at the table while the green-haired man slid two eggs and some bacon on his plate. "Looks good, Cilan," he added, taking a bite of the crisp bacon. "So, where exactly are people from other regions staying?"

"Brock told me that when he attended Viridian Tech, there was a separate building of dorm rooms for people from other regions to stay in for the entire school year, two to each room," Delia explained, taking a swig of orange juice. "I heard that they still kept those buildings in good condition and are probably going to use them again this year. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet up with May and Max again."

Iris smiled thoughtfully for a moment. "These friends you speak of sound really nice, Ash. I can't wait to meet all of them!" she said excitedly.

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry, you will. In fact, there's one girl I'd really like you to meet; you kind of remind me of her, in a way."

"I do? How?"

The trainer smirked and stared down at his plate. "Well, you both just seem…really energetic…stubborn, too," he dared to explain, earning an angry shove from his newest female companion.

"I can hardly call that a compliment!" she retorted.

"Alright, you two, enough," Delia reprimanded with a stern wave of her hand as she brought her dish to the sink and turned on the faucet.

Cilan glanced down at his watch and frowned. "I think we should start heading out anyway. It's getting kind of late."

Ash sighed. "Guess so."

Delia gazed at her son with concern. "Something wrong, honey?"

"I'm just really going to miss traveling…it just seemed like such a waste rushing to catch my new pokemon and train them, only to find out that the league's been pushed forward a year," he said dismally.

Iris smiled with sympathy. "Aw, Ash, I understand. But on the bright side, you have more time to train your new Unova pokemon, and you get to see all of the old friends you traveled with. It's a brand new experience in a familiar environment!" she said, attempting to cheer him up.

Ash glanced back up and grinned. "You know what? You're right," he replied as he grabbed his knapsack, feeling his veins starting to surge with familiar enthusiasm.

Iris chuckled and slid her backpack over her shoulder as well. "That's the spirit!" she declared, Axew peeking out of her violet locks and giving the raven-haired boy an equally enthusiastic grunt.

"Bye, honey! I hope the three of you have a great first day," Delia said, kissing her son on the cheek and causing him to groan as Cilan and Iris sweat-dropped and chuckled.

They headed out the door and into Cilan's rental car, ready for brand new adventures.

* * *

"Mis-ty! Like, we're all going to be late if you don't like, get a move on! Come downstairs and have something to eat! I was nice enough to like, make you toast," a valley-girl voice shouted from below.

"Coming, Violet!" The red-haired teen adjusted the new aquamarine necklace that she had gotten for her seventeenth birthday and grabbed her PokeGear off the dresser before heading downstairs to have a quick breakfast.

She, unlike her sisters, who were coaxed very convincingly into volunteering to teach choreography, makeup, and fashion classes at the school, was ecstatic to attend Viridian Tech for a year. It was a different, fresh change, and a great place for meeting new people and establishing long-lasting friendships. Plus, it was a golden opportunity for seeing all of her old friends again.

In other words, she was especially looking forward to seeing a certain raven-haired boy who considered himself to be a self-proclaimed pokemon master.

She snapped back to reality and faced the red and white heap of pokeballs on her dresser. Which six would she choose to take with her on her first day?

_Definitely Gyarados_, she thought to herself, plunking a shiny ball into her "Seel" knapsack. _And Staryu, Politoed, Corsola, Azurill…and one more..._

She sighed and hesitated. "I know I'm probably going to regret this, but I guess my last choice will have to be-"

Before she could finish, a red beam of light flashed from one of the newly-shined balls and out popped none other than-

"-Psy-y-y?"

"Psyduck!" She placed her hands on her hips and smiled in both amusement and irritation. She just couldn't refuse those clueless, ping-pong ball-shaped eyes, no matter how much stress and frustration the yellow duck caused her day after day. "You're coming with me. Return," she said simply, raising the pokeball for the clueless duck to enter before trotting down the wooden staircase to the kitchen.

"Here, Mist," Daisy said, tossing a plate of buttered toast and cherry-berry juice her way. "I am like, so ticked off that we actually have to go to school and like…educate people."

"It can't be that bad, Daisy. Think of all the cute teachers that will like, be there," Lily coaxed suggestively. Misty rolled her eyes. Lily had always been the most flirtatious out of the four of them. Heck, when she was younger she used to bat her eyelashes at some of the male gym leaders- excluding Brock. _Now _that_ would be just awkward_, Misty thought, shuddering.

"Plus, our shows could possibly get like, more publicity if we advertise in school, where there are people from like, all four regions," Violet added.

"Well, I guess you like, have a point there, Vi," Daisy replied, taking her morning pills with a swig of cherry-berry juice before grabbing her keys and heading out the door with the other two.

"Come on, Misty!" Lily yelled from outside.

"I'll be there in a sec!" She slung her red bag over her shoulders and smiled at the framed picture in the hallway of her, Brock, Tracey, and Ash before meeting up with her sisters.

* * *

Gary Oak was never a big fan of September. To him, it was nothing but a mere reminder that hot, enjoyable weather, sunny Pallet skies, and watching his Pokemon frolic through the grassy meadows of his grandfather's ranch were all but over. Now it was back to research, DNA, paperwork, more research. Of course he liked his job, but he was certainly going to miss the joy of sitting on the back porch of the lab with his older sister May (who had been on summer break from a prestigious college way down in Hoenn), sipping refreshingly cool lemonade and watching the clouds roll by without a care in the world. Hopefully attending this school would provide him at least _some_ interest. He breathed in the warm, dry air before tromping up the concrete stairs of Viridian Tech, a couple of notebooks in his arms signaling his preparedness.

A couple of feet behind him, Tracey lagged behind, stopping every few minutes or so to observe the sights and sounds that surrounded the school. The sun blazed down on the back of his signature teal green T-shirt, warming his skin. It was a perfect day. His eyes were attracted to a nearby rose bush and he smiled, planning to make a quick sketch of it before he and Gary would return home after school. But now he had to hurry it up a bit and get to class- and no, he wasn't going to be _in_ the class; he and a couple of others his age had been specially chosen to work as teachers and volunteers for the school. Tracey himself had been chosen to be the primary art teacher, due to the observance of his many sketchbooks and the obvious notion that he had such a talent for drawing. Besides him, he'd found out that Brock was coming to teach a class in Pokemon Breeding, Daisy, Violet and Lily were going to teach a fashion class, and many of the various League leaders of Kanto and professors of the five regions would be taking a break from their usual tasks and teaching various classes involving Pokemon. Even that guy Cilan that Ash was supposedly traveling with now was the designated chef at the school. It was exciting to think that he was actually going to teach others how to draw and paint, after doing it himself for so many years.

Despite all of his excitement, Tracey sighed when he saw that Gary was purposely walking ahead of him, obviously not wanting to hold any form of conversation whatsoever. Sometimes, the Professor had privately shared stories about how Gary would be in such a bad mood in September because that was the month that his parents had passed away in a tragic car accident ten years ago. Tracey had decided right then and there that he wouldn't talk about the incident or even mention to Gary his slight change in behavior.

"Well, looks like we're finally here," the dark-haired boy remarked, staring up giddily at the building. He saw Gary nod from the corner of his eye, before noticing that he turned to face him for the first time that morning.

"I'm going to go ahead and check in." And with that, he tromped up the brick steps and shut the door behind him, leaving Tracey to head to the lobby by himself.

"He's really starting to get on my nerves, always gloating about how great a coordinator he is."

"I thought he _always_ gets on your nerves, from what Ash told me."

"Yes, but this is ten times worse. I'd like to shove him into his own butterfree's Stun Spore, that little…" she trailed off, muttering a couple of choice words as the two walked along the sidewalk to the school together.

"Look May," Dawn began, sighing, "Let's just forget about him for awhile and think about school. That should take your mind off things. Plus, you and I get to share our very own dorm room together!" she added optimistically, Piplup agreeing with her every word as the tiny blue penguin chirped happily alongside its trainer.

May exhaled and ignored the blunette's advice. They both stopped and stared in awe at the tall, brick building.

After competing- and losing, once again- in the Johto Grand Festival to the literally unbeatable Solidad, May had jumped at the chance to improve her skills at the renowned high school- and for some odd excuse that she couldn't decipher more deeply enough, Drew went with her. He'd placed third after losing to May and was more determined than ever to enhance his coordinating abilities as well. But May was never exactly sure of the other reason why he'd followed her, even with knowing that they would be without the accompaniment of Solidad and Harley. She knew there was another reason by his strange and awkward behavior, but it was just so unclear that she chose to quit trying to examine Drew's problems and focus on her own tasks.

However, to the delight of both of them- for fear that extreme awkwardness and shyness would befall them on the journey back to Kanto together- a certain ten-year-old who had recently obtained his trainer's license and had chosen a lovely treecko for his starter had begged to tag along and enroll in the school as well. Although May had been a little uncertain at first to drag "the know-it-all" to school with her, she knew it would help a lot- with her social life, at least. Once they arrived, May planned to leave Max to do whatever he pleased at the school and she would spend time with her friends and practice for her contests in peace.

For natives of the Sinnoh region- including a certain blue-haired coordinator- Johanna and a couple of Dawn's other friends and acquaintances- including Paul- had heard of Viridian Tech's prestigious rumors and "epic battle tournaments" (as Barry had put it), therefore sparking the "Sinnoh troupe" to attend. Dawn, along with Zoey and Kenny, had also been influenced by the fact that they still had yet to compete in Kanto contests and the Grand Festival, so they'd decided that this was the perfect time to do so.

"I heard that there's even a pool, stadium, battle arena, and a café, too! This is going to be some school year," she heard Dawn squeal, startling the Hoenn native out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, but we should hurry if we don't want to be la-"

"-Hey! It's my little Gingerbread Cookie! Oh, Mayyy! Over here!"

The brunette reddened and grimaced at the familiar voice. "Oh no..."

"Who's _that_?" Dawn mused, pointing to the purple-haired young man as he strutted closer to where the girls were standing.

"I'll tell you later, let's just make a run for it!" she half-whispered to the blunette as the both of them quickly gathered up their belongings and sprinted up the steps and into the heavy wooden doors of the school.

* * *

"Here's your schedule, Misty. Your homeroom is Room 205, and I believe Professor Oak is your teacher," Nurse Joy said, handing the redhead a sheet of paper.

"Thanks." She stepped away from the sign-in desk and glanced around the building. "I could get used to this," she said to herself, taking out a pokeball. "Corsola, you've gotta see this!"

"-Psyyy-duck?"

Misty growled and recalled the clueless pokemon. "You're really getting to be a big pain in the-"

"-I see you still haven't trained Psyduck to obey you, huh?"

Misty whirled around in agitation. "Who said that?! Are you trying to say that I can't control my pokemon?"

"Relax, Misty," she heard the all-too-familiar voice say amusedly. Brock and Tracey appeared from a large plant near to Nurse Joy's desk and weaved their way through the crowd to reach their younger friend.

"Hey Tracey! Brock, I haven't seen you in ages; how are you?" she asked, laughing and pulling the breeder into a friendly hug.

"I'm doing good, and it's great to see you," Brock replied, taking in how much his younger former companion had changed- both physically and emotionally. Still, being Brock, he had no real interest in Misty, as he was attracted to girls of his own age group. Yet…he felt oddly almost like a father, wondering what in the world happened to the scrawny little girl that used to be quite the loudmouth.

"So, I heard that you went back home after Ash competed in the Sinnoh League. How's the gym doing anyhow?" Misty asked curiously.

Brock sighed. "Well, it's doing…okay, but we almost had an instance where it might've been shut down for good. Luckily, I was able to stop the P.I.A. from closing it," he explained. "Otherwise, I have great news! Forrest finally passed his qualification test and is the new gym leader now."

Misty's eyes glowed with a familiar twinge as she recognized the name. "Wow, that's great! Tell him I said congratulations!" Her eyebrows furrowed suddenly, her elated look replaced by a confused one. "Tell me though, if you're not traveling with Ash anymore, and you're not the gym leader, then what have you been doing all this time?"

Brock chuckled amusedly. "I thought you would ask sometime soon." With a grin, he pulled a folded piece of paper out from his shirt pocket and opened it, shoving it under the redhead's nose.

"Pokemon…Doctor…Brock…?" she asked incredulously. "You mean…you're a…I thought you wanted to be a Breeder, though!"

He nodded. "That I did, Misty. And that's why I'm both. I recently started an at-home pokemon breeding AND medical business- you should drop by sometime. Hopefully when I make enough money, I can rent out a building in Pewter and move the business there!"

"That's awesome! I'm really glad you're finally fulfilling your dreams." Misty sighed inwardly. She loved being a gym leader, but deep down it was traveling and battling outdoors that she missed the most. Tracey, who had been surprisingly quiet for most of the conversation in wanting to let his two friends catch up, noticed the girl's morose expression and placed a sympathetic hand on her arm.

Brock made an appreciative sound. "I love being a pokemon doctor, but becoming a pokemon breeder was still a secondhand dream of mine. That's why I'm really happy they asked me to become one of the teachers here. I mean, what's better than teaching a course about what I love the most? Speaking of which- I heard someone else is going to help teach the class with me…maybe it's a girl!" he thought aloud ardently, earning a swift ear tug from the redhead.

"Looks like a reunion if I ever saw one," said another familiar voice with a bit of a nasally tone, cutting off Brock's cry of protest.

"Hey Gary," Misty and Brock called over the noise of the packed hallway, as the group of four stepped over to an empty corner of the room.

The researcher gave a friendly wave at the two of them, before smirking. "So Misty, I heard you're going to be in homeroom with Gramps? Same here."

"That's pretty ironic how you're with your grandpa," Brock replied, chuckling.

"Tell me about it," Gary said, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure he's going to pick favorites, especially with Ash, not that I actually care or anything." He scanned the group with a puzzled frown. "Hey- where _is_ Ashy-boy anyways?"

"I have no idea. He shouldn't have that much trouble getting here," Brock replied with a frown of his own.

"Unless he overslept like he did on his first day of pokemon training," Misty added with a giggle, making the other three chuckle knowingly.

"Hey- what does that mean?" Gary asked, pointing to Misty's schedule. She ran her finger over to where he was pointing:

Friday: Period 8

E4/GL BOARD MTG.

ROOM #: TEACHER'S LOUNGE

MODERATOR: LANCE WATARU

Brock took the paper, before looking back at Misty. "Every Friday, the Kanto Elite Four and gym leaders have a board meeting about changes in the society and general regulations of the Kanto region. It's almost like a Student Council," he explained. "In fact, I was asked to accompany Forrest to these meetings, since he's still a bit inexperienced and because I was the former gym leader," he added proudly.

The meeting was usually during both their free periods, but they both figured that getting the chance to catch up- and socialize (especially in Brock's case)- with other gym leaders, as well as the provision of refreshments, was a much better deal than sitting in study hall all day with nothing but dusty old books and dull silence, in Misty's case, and grading papers all day- in Brock's scenario.

"How cool! And to think I'm actually part of it just because I'm a gym leader," the redhead commented in astonishment.

The breeder nodded, before glancing at the clock on the wall he was leaning on. "Well, Tracey and I probably have to go to take attendance in our classes, but I'll probably see you guys around school. Come stop in to my room sometime; it's 320. And Tracey's in the art room just down this hallway."

"Will do!" Gary and Misty replied as the other two went their separate ways, Tracey to the newly furnished art room and Brock to his classroom. Misty glanced awkwardly to the brunette. "So…should we go? I think we have to be in class soon." She checked her blue watch anxiously.

Gary shrugged. "Sure," he replied, as they both started towards the stairwell, meeting a couple of old friends along the way.

* * *

"Honestly, you think we'd let a Rocket in this school? We are trying to keep this place a healthy and safe environment- free of criminals," Agatha said matter-of-factly, her old eyes carefully skimming over the resumes of the nine people and one pokemon currently standing in her small office.

"But- uh…you said it yourself that this school needs more teachers for some of the classes and a couple of more moderators for the clubs and activities," a girl with bouncy blonde curls protested, looking to her companions for support. The rest of them caught her pleading gaze and nodded obediently in agreement.

"And many of us are skilled in different fields," a shy brown-haired boy pointed out. "I mean, if you wanted to open up a Basic Mechanics class or even Woodshop, I'm, uh, available," he added timidly, hiding behind a white-clad red-haired woman.

"You can't beat that," a muscular blond male said, giving the aged Elite Four member a convincing grin. "C'mon, we're not that bad, right guys?" he asked the nine others, who eagerly replied and turned back to the old woman for approval.

Agatha sighed. It was a two-way street. There were benefits, but there were also risks- big risks that could potentially damage her status and put the school in danger. "Well," she began, leaning back in her new black leather office chair, "I suppose we do lack moderators for the drama club, as well as one new gym teacher and another for Weight Training. And the Woodshop idea sounds good. But we've hired enough Officer Jennys and Johns around here to keep after any troublemakers even _without_ you guys. Don't think that you can even get away with stealing candy from the vending machine- there's always someone on the lookout. You guys get one chance to redeem yourselves and hopefully reconsider finding a better career at some point while working here at Viridian Tech. Understand?"

Each of them glanced at each other with the same sly grin, before turning back to the woman behind the desk. "Of course we understand," Butch replied for all of them, trying to hold back his smirk.

Agatha raised a suspicious eyebrow at their odd behavior, but didn't make it a point to say anything. "Good. Now let's keep things around here civil and in good conduct."

James nodded his head, brushing away that same stray periwinkle piece of hair that attacked his face almost 24/7. "Will do. By the way, Jessie and I were talking and we were thinking of taking over- uh, I mean, being moderators for- the drama club. We do have a lot of theater experience and irresistible charisma, you know," he said, pulling out a fresh red rose for added effect. Meowth snickered and crossed his arms, sulking. All eight humans were already deciding and asking about where they preferred to be placed as teachers. What about him?!

"Hey- what about me?!" the cat asked indignantly, repeating his thoughts aloud and startling everyone from their joviality. "I know I may be just a pokemon, but I can talk and act like a regula' human bein' and I can make 'da best ramen noodles around! Ask anybody!"

Agatha grazed her chin, gazing at Meowth in deep concentration. "Ramen noodles, you say? Well…we have a rather large kitchen. I suppose we could add the noodles to the menu. I'm sure kids would love freshly made noodles. But you're not going to goof off- you're going to cook, understand?!"

Meowth raised his paw and did a mock-salute. "Yes, m'am!"

As the nine of them sat and listened to basic school and faculty rules and regulations, Cassidy tuned the elderly woman out and thought back to what the boss had said to them before they departed from Headquarters:

_"Our losses and competition are increasing, and our funds are decreasing!" he boomed, slamming down a rock-hard fist on the mahogany desk, causing everyone to jump. "This is the only possible and unique solution that I have come up with. As my best agents and staff members, you cannot let me down…are we clear?"_

_"Clear as crystal, Sir," Butch replied in a gruff voice for each member. All nine of them gulped nervously before glancing at each other, determined to carry out this new mission successfully._

_"You got lucky this time, Jessie-Jess," Cassidy said after they were all dismissed from Giovanni's office, "But one wrong move and you and those other two idiots will be kicked off the team forever."_

_Jessie rolled her eyes and smirked. "Please, we all know it's probably going to be you and Whatshisname that are going to screw up."_

_Cassidy laughed in disbelief. "You can't be serious."_

_"Oh, I am."_

_"We'll see."_

_James sighed and looked at the two wearily. "Can we please stop fighting?" he pleaded, looking to Butch for support._

_"Yeah," the teal-haired man said. "I actually gotta agree with this guy. You both have been acting way out of hand lately. Hey, I got an idea- why don't we both just leave each other alone?" He smiled and linked his arm with Cassidy's, giving her a "be-the-bigger-person" nod._

_She rolled her eyes and glared at Jessie. "Fine. It's better that way."_

_Jessie stuck her tongue out and walked closer to James. "I couldn't agree more."_

_Meowth, walking alongside his two masters, just sighed and shook his head. "What a bunch'a kids!"_

"…Butch, you'll be a gym teacher, and Domino- that's an interesting name- you will be an assistant to the Dean of Discipline," Agatha proposed, startling the blonde out of her flashback. The aged woman's eyes suddenly shifted to her. "And Cassidy, you, my dear, will be the daytime moderator for the girls' dorm building. A Nurse Joy will take your spot for the evening shift, in case any of the girls become ill during the night."

Cassidy contemplated the job, trying not to sulk. It couldn't be too bad. Still, she didn't want to have to deal with insignificant teenager drama- something she deeply regretted back in her days at Pokemon Tech.

"You start tomorrow morning. And don't be late!"

All nine Rockets nodded, pleased with the outcome of Giovanni's plan.

* * *

Brock hummed a light tune as he sauntered past each doorway and recognized a bunch of familiar faces, whether they be faculty member or student. A warm smile graced his tanned face. Life was, to be honest, pretty darn good for him right now.

His business was doing pretty well, and even though his parents hardly displayed any signs of responsibility or levelheadedness to their family whatsoever, all of his siblings and pokemon were well cared for. Even so, with all this success and happiness gracing his life right now, he still knew, deep down, that there was something missing.

Someone to share it all with.

He rolled his eyes, knowing that at this rate, it was possibly hopeless to find love. Many females in Pewter knew of his flirtatious reputation- though respectful as it was- and were cautious not to get too close to him. It hurt him inside, even though he was afraid to show it, but he realized that he was almost twenty-two. He didn't just want any girl. He needed someone. He needed love. Real, true love. Not nonsensical courtiers that probably didn't possess any feelings for him anyway.

Sure, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were cute- but as much as his girl-crazy mind told him that one of them was "the one", the raging hormones he had possessed at fifteen years old were finally beginning to die down a bit and he didn't have the same feelings towards them as he used to.

It was time to just wait it out and see- let love come to him. He sighed as he hastily turned the doorknob to his classroom, wanting to let his pokemon out and organize all of his medical and breeding supplies before-

"-Brock? Is that you?"

The spiky-haired man whipped his head up and staggered back a bit, not sure if he was standing in the midst of reality right now.

"Suzy?!"

* * *

A/N: Well, how was it? Horrible? Good? Cliché? Disastrous? Too slow? I have to apologize for the sluggishness, but sadly for the first two chapters a lot of stuff has to happen at the same time, so it's not that confusing. After all, Ash had made a lot of friends in the past…erm, however many years. He needs them all to meet each other if they're going to spend the entire year together, after all! But tell me what you think! I'm also completely open to accept new ideas for things YOU would like to happen during the course of their year! Okay…hopefully I can get past Chapter 2! XD


	2. Nice to Meet You

**A/N: Hello again! To be honest, I've been stuck on this chapter for about five months because of that battle scene. But here it is! Sorry for the lateness. XD**

* * *

Misty sighed as she watched a couple of pretty girls saunter over to Gary and flirt with him coyly. Looks like she was on her own now. She hoped Ash would be in some of the same classes as she was, because as much as she knew Gary well, the former was obviously someone she felt more comfortable being around. She crossed her arms and looked the two girls up and down as Gary wove his arms around each of them and guided them to their first class. Their stylish outfits were perfectly put together, and the colors and accessories matched nicely, too. One girl's hair was shiny and soft and fell effortlessly down her shoulders, while the other girl looked cute and preppy in two loose pigtails. Their makeup enhanced their features and made their glowing faces look flawless.

The redhead looked down at her own plain outfit, comprised of a burgundy camisole layered under a matching pale yellow tank and short set. She wore clunky orange sneakers and her feisty red hair was pulled into her signature short side ponytail. She didn't even think to put any makeup on! Cheeks instantly reddening, she suddenly felt insecure about her appearance, wishing she looked like the two girls that Gary was with. What if Ash still thought of her as a scrawny kid, while he viewed every other girl in the school as beautiful and mature?

She laughed at her pathetic thought. This was _Ash_ she was talking about, right? Well…whether Ash had finally gone through puberty or not, she closed her eyes in frustration and immediately wished she could go back home and change her outfit. _Whatever, maybe I should just start heading to class and forget about-_

"-Oof! Ouch!"

Misty's eyes widened with concern as she rubbed her own head quickly and stood up shakily. "I'm so sorry, I guess I was lost in my thoughts and didn't see-"

"-Wait a second…you look familiar!"

Misty stared confusedly at the person she'd just bumped into. The girl looked to be around twelve or thirteen, with long, shiny, navy blue hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked very put-together in a pink and black outfit with matching boots and a white beanie hat that sat atop her head. A cute piplup peeped out shyly from in between her thin legs. "I do?"

The girl nodded, but then snapped her finger, clearly remembering something. "You're Misty, right? Ash Ketchum's old traveling buddy?"

The redhead gazed at her in surprise. How did this girl know about her past, let alone her name? Was she a friend of Ash's? "Yes…that's me, and yes, as a matter of fact I did travel with Ash! But…would you mind telling me who you are?" she added with a small chuckle.

The girl slapped a hand to her face embarrassedly. "Silly me, the first thing I should've done was introduce myself. I'm Dawn, and I traveled with your friends Ash and Brock in the Sinnoh region last year," she explained.

Misty nodded. "Ah, I see. It's nice to finally get to meet you, Dawn! I knew Ash probably traveled with another girl when he made it to Sinnoh- as it's kind of a growing pattern- but he never really mentioned who exactly it was." She sighed and glanced back at Dawn, who was still gazing at her intently. "Don't tell him that I said this, but for awhile I was kind of angry with him for not keeping in contact. I mean, it sounds pretty harsh, but we've been best friends for years, and-"

"-Oh, I won't tell a soul, Misty. I understand. I met up with him and his friends in Eastern Unova a couple of months ago, but other than that, he hadn't really done the same for me, except for maybe one postcard he sent about a month into exploring the region."

Misty smiled at the girl; she seemed pretty fun and likeable. "Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate it." Another thought suddenly struck her mind. "But tell me, how did you recognize me?"

"Well, Ash has told me a lot about you through these past three years, but the _real_ reason I recognized you was because I remembered he used a lure that you made for him when we went fishing once! I had no idea what or who it was at the time, so he and Brock explained to me the whole story of how you met and started traveling together, and how you eventually became friends!" she explained. "So a better answer would be no, I'm not a mind reader." The two girls shared a laugh.

"Piplup?"

Dawn looked down and smirked . "So you finally got up the courage to say hello?" She sighed exasperatedly and looked back to Misty, whose eyes were shining in delight about seeing a piplup in person for the very first time. "Let me introduce you to Piplup, my very first pokemon." Piplup squeaked and waved a flipper, sensing that its owner's new acquaintance was friendly.

"Oh, it's just so CUTE!" Misty squealed gleefully. "I'm not sure if Ash ever told you, but I'm a water pokemon trainer. I just love everything about water types! And I've always wanted to see a piplup in action- maybe we can have a battle later?"

Dawn chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. "I like all types, but water is also a favorite of mine. And sure we can have battle later! I'm actually training to be Top Coordinator someday, so I usually practice for contest battles, but I need to work on my training anyway, so this will be great practice for me!"

Misty smiled to herself, relieved that Dawn was being so friendly and was actually interested in their new acquaintance. Many a time she had been so inwardly worried about Ash's new female traveling buddies, and whether or not he would finally wake up and possibly develop feelings for any of them. She tried so hard not to be selfish, but her stupid feelings for him always got in the way, and the cycle has continued ever since. She was furious with herself for even thinking this way, because deep down, she was ecstatic for him that he was making so much progress in his pokemon journey- meeting new people and pokemon, making new friends, and advancing every step of the way. Still, she couldn't help but miss him at times and reflect on their past and all of the great times they've shared together. Moving on just wasn't her strong point…

She had to admit, out of all three main females Brock had described to her whenever they would video chat (with the exception of whoever Ash was traveling with now), Dawn- even despite her young age- had seemed the most intimidating. She guessed it was probably the mention of the short skirt and overall girly personality that she feared would attract Ash like a beedrill to honey. Although Ash's decision to explore Hoenn was the first time she ever had to deal with these feelings of distrust and envy, May had instantly confirmed her doubts when they had met at the Mirage Kingdom. Ash had also mentioned that he was positive May had feelings for her biggest rival, a handsome coordinator named Drew. She guessed that Ash seemed to already be good friends with his current traveling buddy, but her lack of contact with the boy hindered her ability to examine his relationship with the newbie.

They two conversed for a while, relievedly noting that they had much more in common than a love for water types. In fact, they were lucky enough to be placed in the same homeroom and Pokecare class! To their disappointment, the bell rang a few minutes later, startling them out of their excitement for school to begin, but before they could walk together to Room 205, a flash of orange, white, and green ambled down the hallway and jostled Dawn roughly to the side.

"Dawn, if you don't get out of the way this second, I'm gonna have to fine you!"

Misty raised an eyebrow bewilderedly as the two quickly stepped aside to let the boy race to the end of the hall and up the stairwell. "…and that would be?"

Dawn sighed and fixed her mussed blue locks, shaking her head. "Oh, that's just Barry. And believe me, he's not as strange as some of the people you're about to meet."

* * *

With shaky hands, Brock fiddled with his stethoscope, cheeks reddening furiously. "Well, isn't this a nice s-surprise," he droned, almost sounding unconscious. He swallowed heavily.

Suzy eyed him skeptically, but still managed a genuine smile. "It really is! I was told that there would be two of us, but I never thought in a million years that my co-worker would be you!" She stepped forward and stretched out her right arm, signaling a handshake.

Brock inwardly shuddered as he touched her hand, instantly recalling the millions of tiny, invisible sparks that fluttered through his veins when they had clasped hands almost eight years ago. He tried his best to grin and nod, squeaking out a measly, "Yeah."

But before he could make a fool out of himself any further, a quick, small blur of silky orange darted from Suzy's legs and scampered into his arms. Brock's brown eyes were met with a set of liquid caramel orbs, and something within him caused him to immediately squeeze the creature in an affectionate hug.

"Vulpix…" he muttered happily into the fox pokemon's warm fur, a smile lighting up his tanned face.

Suzy reached over to scratch her prized pokemon behind the ears and giggled. "She's missed you a lot, Brock. I'm so glad things worked out this way; now she has a chance to see you for awhile!" Vulpix gave a cry of approval as it nuzzled into Brock's embrace.

The twenty-two-year-old chuckled quietly. As much as it was a happy reunion for the trio, there was still one bothersome question plaguing the back of his mind. "So, uh…how's Zane been?"

The teal-haired breeder's eyes flickered, an odd expression illuminating them. "Zane's still in Bonitaville, taking care of our salon." She sighed wearily, leaning on one of the lab tables and placing her chin in her palm. "He didn't really seem to mind that we'd be separated for a while, but the day I left, I wasn't too sure if that was true. To be honest, he seemed a little angry knowing that I was offered another job, but there was nothing I could do about it…"

Brock set Vulpix down on the table, letting it curl up on the smooth white surface. "I think he should be happy for you. After all, this opportunity is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Suzy's lips formed a firm line. "Hm. I guess so."

"I know I'd be happy for you if I were him," he blurted out, instantly regretting the added remark. He blushed embarrassedly, as it indirectly hinted that he wouldn't mind being in a position to date Suzy. After all, "Zuzy" was one of the most famous celebrity couples in the Johto region (as Brock had unfortunately seen in _Breeder's Weekly_ a few years ago). There was no doubt that despite his absence in the Kanto and Johto region for the past two years, he knew they'd been an item since that pokemon beauty pageant.

But Suzy gave no inkling of his not-so-subtle interest in her, much to his relief. She merely grinned and thanked him for his consideration, before conveniently switching the subject to the day's curriculum.

One by one, students began to pour in- several of which, including Khoury and his totodile, Brock recognized. Euphoria washed over him with the realization that he would be teaching with Suzy for the whole entire year. Now, was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

He knew he definitely still had feelings for her, all along. She was…different. Very much different from all of the other ladies he had attempted to court throughout his journeys with Ash. He swore that he would start anew this year and let love come to him, but now Suzy was back, and it was so hard not to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach whenever he stole a glance at her. And it didn't help that Vulpix was back, either.

He sighed…they would make such a perfect couple. But she was still dating Zane, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Unless…was it possible that they could become closer this year, and maybe she would finally realize that there could be some sort of chemistry between them?

He gazed at her one final time as she introduced herself to the class and presented Vulpix, who stood proudly on four legs on top of the flat podium.

_Maybe, _he thought_. Just maybe._

* * *

Dawn knew trouble was about to ensue the moment she and Misty stepped into Room 205.

A boy with chartreuse-colored hair was leaning on May's desk, a smug grin quickly spreading across his face. "Well, what do you know, _May_," he jeered. "We have homeroom together- and three other classes!"

"I'm charmed," the brunette shot back, giving him a glare.

He laughed and sighed, throwing a pokeball up in the air and catching it with steady charisma. "Just so you know, I won't go easy on you in that Appeals class."

"Well neither will I." To May's sudden relief, a hint of blue and orange caught her eye. She eyed Dawn with a violent glare that screamed "_Get over here and save me!"_, before immediately recognizing Misty and rushing over to hug her old-time friend.

Placing her books on the desk next to the brunette's as the two girls beside her caught up with each other, Dawn shook her head bemusedly. Surely from May's stories- especially the more recent ones- this was not the same Drew she'd pictured. What made her even more bewildered, though, was the fact that he was slowly advancing towards _her_. She glanced to her older friends, who stopped chattering and gazed at him as well.

"Is that the Drew I keep hearing about?" Misty whispered to May, trying to be as discreet as possible.

May nodded gravely, eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately."

The redhead suppressed a tiny smirk.

"You must be Dawn," the LaRousse native said softly, holding out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you- I watched you compete in the Wallace Cup and was very impressed."

Raising her eyebrows a bit, Dawn cautiously shook the boy's hand, guilt immediately washing over her. May's face held a very odd expression, as she could see from the corner of her eye. "It's nice to meet you too, Drew," she finally replied, trying to be as polite as her conscience would let her. "I've heard so much about you." She bit back a growing smirk and slowly shifted her gaze to May, who blushed furiously.

Before she could say anything, Drew cocked an eyebrow and fixed his eyes on the flustered brunette. "Oh, really now?"

"I-I…we just talked about-"

"-My wins? My Appeals? My incredible pokemon? No need to stutter, May, we all know-"

"-Okay, listen, Mr. Arrogant," a distinct voice cut in. The quartet turned suddenly to see a girl with short scarlet hair glaring at Drew, a cuddly gray glameow planted at her side. "If you so much as think you're going to be the only Top Coordinator around here, you're in for a rude awakening."

"I second that!" another youthful voice piped crossly from the doorway, preceding his empoleon.

Dawn's face lit up as she squealed and scurried to the front of the room, squeezing her primary rival and childhood friend in a tight hug. May's seemingly permanent frown broke out into a bright grin as well, as she recognized Zoey.

A bit taken aback, Drew crossed his arms, staring at the scarlet-haired teen intently. He'd watched her at the Wallace Cup and Sinnoh Grand Festival, too- and admittedly, she was an excellent coordinator.

"Maybe we should settle this with a battle, then," he drawled, watching as the girl looked up from the blunette's rambunctious embrace.

"Oh, we will- no doubt about that. The Kanto Grand Festival isn't going to win itself." Glameow mewed in agreement.

May smirked and crossed her arms, satisfied with her little backup gang. "Well Drew, it seems like I'm not your only competition in this school now, hm?" she taunted.

But before he could make another comeback, someone unknown to almost all of them strode up excitedly and tapped the brunette on the shoulder.

"May? Is that you?"

May started at the touch, whirling around to find a boy staring down at her with bright scarlet eyes. She gasped with recognition. "Brendan!"

Her childhood friend- also the son of Professor Birch and a native of Littleroot Town- was much taller than she'd remembered. His friendly grin and jet-black hair (though hidden by a floppy white cap), however, was the same as always. She pulled him into a small hug and giggled. "Is that really you?"

Misty's, Zoey's, Dawn's, and Kenny's eyebrows rose perplexedly. Emerald eyes narrowing just slightly, Drew looked like he wanted to punch something. _Who was this guy?_

Brendan chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully. "Yep, it's really me. I haven't seen you since before you started your journey! How have you been? I heard you're a coordinator now."

"I've been great! But tell me…what brought you here to the Kanto region?"

He smiled, setting down his backpack on a nearby chair. "I thought you would ask that. My dad's teaching pokemon Biology here. Originally I was going to attend Rustboro Academy, but I decided to tag along with him. Say, where's Max?" he asked, scanning the classroom. "Is he here, too?"

May frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, that little pest is here, too. But luckily, he's downstairs, where the younger grades are."

A plethora of students suddenly streamed in, laughing and talking excitedly. Drew, relieved to have something distract him from the currently nauseating dialogue, skimmed through the crowd, recognizing two of the newcomers to be Paul Ikari- whom he'd heard from May was Ash's Sinnoh rival- and Gary Oak, who was apparently Ash's first rival and the grandson of Professor Oak. Immediately following them was Professor Oak himself- a sturdily-built man with white hair and dark, bushy eyebrows, a bright smile lighting up his aged features. "Okay, class- it's time to begin what I feel is going to be a very exciting year, teeming with all sorts of events!"

Brendan turned to May and winked, as if to say, _"We'll catch up later!"_, before settling at the desk in front of hers. She nodded back, smiling sweetly.

Drew groaned inwardly, somehow hating the fact that May's attention was now soaked up by someone completely foreign to him. Trying to focus his mind on Professor Oak's eccentric, poetry-filled introduction, one thought continuously plagued his mind:

_This was going to be a very long year._

* * *

"So what work are we going to do? Are there going to be any Pokemon battles? Do you think your friends are going to like me? I wish Cilan hadn't gone ahead to the kitchen," Iris blurted out anxiously as she and Ash walked through up the brick steps, entering the large building.

Ash chuckled as he held open the door for her. "You ask too many questions, Iris. Don't worry, most of the stuff except for English and Math is centered around pokemon anyway, so you should be fine. Now come on, I want you to meet all of my old friends."

Ash, Iris and Pikachu stumbled into the classroom, panting heavily as their friends watched them and sweat-dropped.

From the back of the room, a girl with long, straight brown hair started at the sight of the boy.

_Ash is here too?_ she thought to herself. _I can't believe it!_

She'd already managed to keep out of a certain aspiring researcher's line of sight, but it was going to be tough avoiding both boys. She was fortunate enough at least to keep Professor Oak from noticing her entrance. She sighed uneasily and lowered her head a little.

Professor Oak gave the duo a wry smile. "Ash, Pikachu, nice to see you-"

"-I'm so sorry, Professor, we kind of got a little lost and couldn't find the classroom," the boy cut in, hoping that his lame "excuse" wouldn't perturb the man he looked up to the most even further. He heard some snickering, and turned to see Misty towards the back of the room, stifling a giggle.

"We promise we won't be late again," a shy voice peeped nervously from behind the raven-haired boy.

Iris's heartbeat had accelerated wildly as soon as she and Ash had entered the classroom. All eyes were on her. It wasn't easy being from a totally different region and knowing only two people in a gigantic school. Ash shook his head and nudged her gently as they walked over to Professor Oak.

To her instant relief, however, a familiar shade of indigo at the back of the classroom caught her eye, and she grinned brightly as she and Dawn waved to each other. She nodded with excitement as the coordinator mouthed, "We'll catch up later!" to her. Maybe going to school wouldn't be so bad after all!

"Ah, Iris!" the aged gentleman exclaimed, breaking her out of the exchanged glance with her friend. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. We'd love for you to share with us about many newly-discovered pokemon of the Unova region," he added.

The violet-haired girl smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, and I will," she replied, glancing over to two empty seats in the back near a friendly-looking orange-haired girl. Even though she now had both Ash and Dawn to talk to, she still nervously made her way down the rows of desks and sat down, glancing confusedly at Ash, who gave the girl a friendly wave and a smile. Who was she?

Suddenly, the redhead turned around, giving her a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Iris. I'm Misty." She held out a pale-skinned hand politely.

"Nice to meet you too," she replied and shook the girl's hand, caramel-colored eyes flicking from Misty to Ash and back to Misty. Ash chuckled.

"Misty was the very first friend that I traveled with back when I was going out for the Pokemon League here in Kanto," he explained. "Man, that seems like centuries ago, right?"

"I know, it seemed like just yesterday that you decided to use Pidgeotto against Brock's geodude-"

"-I was _ten years old_, Misty." He smirked and gave her a playful shove.

The professor cleared his throat. "Erm, as I was saying, each day you will come to homeroom with me for ten minutes or so to listen to announcements until beginning your actual classes. Now, to find those permission slips for the fall field trip…" he mumbled, rummaging through a briefcase on his desk.

Ash sat back and grinned as he scanned each person in the room, each either a good friend or an acquaintance that he'd met on his travels at some time or another.

_Not a bad choice of people, Professor._

First off, there was obviously Misty sitting to his left, who had turned and gave him a small wave and a wink. Drew sat towards the front, giving the boy a shrug and a baffled expression when he'd first entered the classroom. Gary and Ritchie sat by the window, Gary giving Ash a smirk and Ritchie smiling sympathetically for his lateness. Paul just…stared at him without a gesture or proper greeting. May, Barry, Kenny, Zoey, and Dawn had both given friendly smiles and waved to him as well, and others that he knew had just smiled and turned back to the professor.

There were just about three people that he'd never seen before. One boy lounged in his seat and yawned, his hat sliding down on his face a bit; he had darkish hair and a hoodie. Another boy sat near Drew at the front, wearing a baggy white hat held up by a black headband. The girl sitting in the desk in front of he and Iris had long, straight brown hair and was wearing a tank top and bright red skirt. He narrowed his eyes; there was something so familiar about that girl but he couldn't put his finger on it…

"-Something wrong Ash?" Misty whispered concernedly, snapping him out of his bemused daze.

He smiled at her and waved it off. "Nah, it was nothing. Haha."

But before he could examine his nagging déjà vu any further, two bright, feminine faces appeared on the flat screen television on the front wall of the classroom. One of them he recognized to be Lyra, the same chocolate brown pigtails and little blue cap framing her face, but the other he had yet to meet, as he'd never come across a bubbly-looking trainer with powder-blue pigtails and warm brown eyes on his journey.

"Good morning, students, and welcome to a new year at Viridian Tech! I'm Marina Krystal…"

"…and I'm Lyra Kotone…" the Johto native added in with a girly wink.

"…and these are your announcements for the day!" they both declared in peppy unison.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw the kid with the hoodie blush at the periwinkle-haired girl, and the guy next to him, whom he recognized as Vincent (or was it Jackson?) from the Silver Conference, glared at the former.

_Hmm…what was _that_ all about? _he thought obliviously.

Finally, after basic guidelines, emergency procedures, and a brief overview of some of the classes were given, the announcements came to a close and everyone was allowed to scan their schedules and survey their classes for the year. Some people groaned about how they'd received Math or Science as their first period, while others jumped for joy when they'd discovered that their last period was a fun or pokemon-related elective.

"It looks like the bell is about to ring, so I'd better tell you about one more very important thing," Oak declared, raising his voice to calm the noise. "This year, the faculty has issued a new idea that could be a very exciting opportunity for some of you- especially for those skilled in the field of pure pokemon training."

Ash's eyebrows rose curiously. Opportunity?

"It is called the Points System. By exhibiting great leader qualities, showing an excellent bond with your pokemon, and getting involved with extracurricular activities within the school, you will all have the chance to be involved in the Points System. The amount of points you receive depends on just how much of these requirements you fulfill during the year. The top two students who receive the most points by the end of the year will be able to participate in a tag battle against two of the Pokemon World's most advanced Champions- that is, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia Shirona and the Champion of the Kanto and Johto Elite Four- Lance Wataru."

Paul and Ash started at the two names mentioned, their drive for reaching the top as trainers already on fire. They both just had to prove their battle skills. It was too good to be true to battle such tough but worthy opponents.

"Remember though," Oak warned with a wagging finger. "You cannot rely on your strategy or pokemon's power alone. Getting involved is one of the most important things you can do to increase your number of points." He closed his eyes and smiled excitedly before continuing. "I wish you all the best with the Points System. Whatever the outcome of the Champion battle may be, those two top trainers will have many opportunities for the future in store for them."

Paul's onyx eyes gleamed with excitement, his mouth set in a firm line. "I've just got to win this thing," Ash heard him mutter as soon as the bell rang, signaling their first class of the day.

The raven-haired boy smirked as he stood up and gathered his books. "Ha, not if I do first."

The Sinnoh native whirled around and stared at his former rival stonily. "Ketchum."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "Paul," he spat.

Suddenly, Paul's frown began to give way and his mouth twitched into a small, amused smile. Ash's previous expression faded into one of relief and joy, finally glad that his fierce enmity with Paul was officially over. He cautiously held a hand out, to which the object of his thoughts shook briefly.

"So…how's it going?" Paul asked briskly as they headed out the door together. "You know…with your Unova journey?"

A little taken aback that Paul would actually be interested in his current whereabouts, Ash swallowed before smirking. "It's…interesting. Not like any other region I've ever seen. Hey, maybe we can have a battle soon and I can show you how much better I've become!"

Paul gave a bitter chuckle. "Really, now."

Ash sighed. Guess he hadn't changed _that _much. "So, what about you? You went back to Snowpoint City, right?" he asked as they made their way to the school's Battle Arena, as they both had second period together.

With a silent nod and a proud glint in his eyes, the violet-haired teen pulled out a velvet-lined case that held six gilded Symbols carefully positioned in a semi-circle, resting just above the powder blue Frontier logo.

"I finally defeated Brandon, Ash."

"Wow, congrats!" He wasn't sure if he should proceed the next question, but he was itching to ask ever since he saw Paul in homeroom. "Uh…just wondering…are you and Brandon on good terms now?"

Paul sighed, remembering the day he challenged Brandon in front of Ash, his friends, and his brother, and lost miserably. Flashbacks of yelling and anger streamed through his memory bank, making him wish he had never brought this subject up to his former rival. But as detrimental that day was to both his inner core and his journey, the past was the past and he had finally moved on from his harsh way of treating pokemon and battling purely for power.

"Yes," he answered at last. "It was a little tense at first, but after the battle we talked for awhile. Things are better with my brother now, too."

Ash smiled with relief. "Good. I'm glad." They finally reached the Battle Complex, where fields of every earthly element greeted them. "Say, where is Reggie? Is he still in Sinnoh?"

"Yup." An amused smile crossed the usually sullen boy's face. "In fact…he's engaged."

Ash's eyes widened. "You're kidding. To who?"

"Maylene*."

"Whoa- there's a new one! I always thought they kind of liked each other." He chuckled softly.

"Alright everyone, please take your seats," a deep voice said, interrupting the boys. Ash turned to see that it was none other than Bruno- this time fully clothed and hair tamed as an attempt to look more professional.

The tanned Elite Four member caught his gaze and gave the boy a feral grin. "Well, look who it is. How are you, Ash? I haven't seen you since you were what, eleven?"

"I'm doing great, Bru- I mean, uh, Mr.-"

"-Please, continue to call me Bruno." He nodded towards the bleachers as Ash and Paul took their seat and waited for further instruction. As he sat down, letting Pikachu curl up in his lap, he caught sight of Gary and the hoodie kid from homeroom sitting in the highest row.

Ash laughed quietly to himself. _Gary and Paul, huh. This is going to be an interesting course._

"Welcome to Accelerated Strategy and Battle Skills- shortened 'ASBS.' Although I have another 'advanced' class this afternoon, I'd like to congratulate you for making it into this course, based on your outside achievements in the pokemon world. I see many familiar faces, as most of you have gotten very close to winning some type of major league or tournament in your pokemon journey so far. In this course, you will not only learn how to work outside of a type disadvantage but improve your battle skills greatly."

The shaggy-haired man took a breath and gestured behind him to the five battlefields behind him. Each contained a different element; in order, they were Ice, Rock, Grass, Water, and Normal. "Every other day," he continued, "you will be randomly matched up with a student in this class and participate in a two-on-two battle, so that you can increase your pokemon's strength, as well as strengthen the bond with each pokemon you possess. We will spend the alternate days reading and discussing the content in the book." He picked up a thick textbook titled _You Think You Have What it Takes?_ and presented it to the class with glee.

Ash groaned inwardly. He was ecstatic to get back onto the battlefield after a hectic two weeks of packing up his Unova belongings and returning home, but schoolwork just wasn't his thing. He wasn't sure just how much he could handle being away from his outside journey.

"Alright, enough talk," Bruno declared, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. "Let's see what you've all got!"

"Ha, now you're talking!" the raven-haired trainer laughed as everyone stood up, waiting to see if their names would be called for the first round.

"Alright, the first ten people are as follows: Oak and Ikari, you're on the Rock Field, Smith and Thompson, you're on Water, Ketchum and Gold- Grass, Ritchie and Kohei- Normal, and Jackson and Tuck on Ice. And there's no time limit! Ready? Get with your opponents and you may begin when you're ready!"

Ash glanced to Pikachu, glad that he was- pun intended- recharged after a quick nap. "Ready, buddy?"

"Pika!"

As he advanced towards the Grass field, he noticed that the dark-haired kid wearing the hoodie was heading the same way. "I'm guessing we're opponents, huh," he remarked to the boy, whose eyes widened when he saw Ash's face.

"Hey- you're Ash Ketchum! Top 16 in the Indigo Conference and Top 8 in the Silver Conference, right? You're awesome, man!" He held his fist out for a knuckle-punch, to which Ash obliged with a small chuckle.

"Hehe, that's me," the Pallet native replied sheepishly. "And I'm not sure about awesome, but…thanks!" Another thought crossed his mind. "By the way, are we in the same homeroom? I could've sworn you were the guy trying to hide your face with your hat for some reason," he teased.

The boy sweatdropped. "Oh, right. I went to bed kinda late last night and sort of slept through most of it, so I probably didn't notice you come in," he explained with an embarrassed chuckle. "Anyway, Jimmy's the name, and being a Pokemon Master someday is absolutely my game." He crossed his arms proudly and smirked at his opponent.

Ash raised his eyebrows surprisingly. "Well, Jimmy, I think we should start this battle and _then_ see who's better deserving of that title!" Pikachu gave a little yelp in agreement as the two teens took their respective places on the field.

"After you, Ketchum," Jimmy called almost mockingly from the opposite end, a competitive glint in his eye. They both liked the challenge of having a new rivalry.

Ash grinned back and whipped his hat backwards. "Alright, then," he replied, taking out a freshly shined pokeball, "Oshawott- I choose you!"

* * *

Drew was sure he had never felt such fury towards Solidad before than now. "You're kidding, right?"

Beside the boy, May sighed helplessly, eyes shifting to the Cacturne-clad, twenty-one-year-old standing next to the Grand Festival Winner, sporting a cunning grin. Dawn, Kenny, Zoey, and the other students of Coordinating 101 followed after their two newest rivals, trading confused glances at the entire exchange.

The pinkette's smile faltered a little, from her initial excitement at getting to spend a coordinating class with Drew and May. She had expected this, and she knew it wasn't going to go down well.

Before she could open her mouth to give a sensible reply, however...

"Oh shut it, Green Hair. You know, it's always good manners to respect your authority."

Drew's jaw clenched. "Oh I'm sorry, after I beat you in the Johto Grand Festival last year, I didn't think you fit the role," he retorted through gritted teeth, making a humiliated Harley growl and slightly awestruck May gasp.

"Stop it now, the both of you," Solidad said sharply, motioning for the class to stand in a semi-circle around her- and her grumbling assistant.

With a dreamy smile, she gestured to the contents of the room behind her. Four sleek stages shone pristinely, all lined up in equal intervals. Lining each wall were marble pillars, gleaming with expensive mixtures of stone. Along each side of the enormous hall were two sets of mahogany stands, where onlookers could watch and cheer. But the best part was the huge, purely glass ceiling, which was currently open to let the fresh cool air in.

"This," the pinkette said, "is the Contest Arena, and the site of your first class of the day."

May tried hard not to faint at the wondrous room, but luckily she was able to catch her breath and turned to Dawn, who was beaming with equal zeal. Even Drew was caught off guard.

"Okay, let's start! The first eight people to get to the stages can practice your appeals, while the rest of you wait in the stands."

"And just remember," the purple-haired man called after the stampeding class of coordinators, "it's not a crime to ask for pointers!" He smirked wickedly, setting his sights on a certain two teenagers.

Although Drew was still slightly peeved at Brendan's sudden appearance- rather, his wholehearted interest in May- he couldn't help but be relieved when May glanced at him with a weary yet amused expression. They both smirked at each other before looking back at their long-time frenemie.

If only they could get rid of Harley…

* * *

It was halfway into first period, and Gary and Paul were still in the middle of their heated first battle. Initially, the trainer from Veilstone presumed the match to be a breeze, stemming from the fact that his opponent had permanently quit training for sport and followed in his grandfather's footsteps instead. But now, he wasn't so sure. Even though Paul's aggron had clearly come out the victor despite its type advantage, Gary's arcanine had been raised very well and put up a good fight. He wiped violet-colored strands of hair away from his eyes as he thought back to his conversation with Gary just twenty minutes ago…

_"So you're the famous Gary Oak everyone talks about around here," Paul said, his voice echoing throughout the stadium as he sized up his competition._

_Gary closed his eyes and nodded. "The one and only." He looked up and squinted at his opponent. "And you must be Paul, Ash's rival from the Sinnoh region."_

_"Correct."_

_"I've heard a lot about you."_

_"Likewise."_

_Paul smirked enigmatically, attempting to take a jab at his fresh adversary. "They say you dropped out of training to become a researcher."_

_Gary raised an eyebrow at the remark, his nerves damaged just a little. His ego hadn't gone _completely_ away after his infamous defeat in the Silver Conference. "They say you challenged Cynthia on a whim, and lost pathetically in the process."_

_The plum-haired trainer gritted his teeth, remembering that day. How dare this kid try to bring that up? Deep down, he knew his overconfident quest for power had been one of his greatest weaknesses. But, truth be told, he had changed for the better now. It was time to show this Gary Oak how much stronger he had become._

_"I'll have you know that my battle with Cynthia took place almost two years ago. My skills have greatly improved since then," he finally spat, fingers subconsciously drifting along the line of pokeballs clamped onto his belt._

_"Well," Gary remarked, "then this battle should be interesting."_

It was now Gary's turn to choose. With a smug smirk, he plucked out the first pokeball on his belt and brought it to his lips, kissing it briefly three times before letting it sail onto the battlefield. "Blastoise, go!" A vivid beam of red light quickly took shape into the enormous turtle-like creature, who gave a throaty grunt and puffed out its chest pompously.

Paul bristled, knowing that the water-type was a perfect choice on a rock field. But his confidence was still as strong as ever- after all, Gary _was_ being a little predictable here.

His choice was ironically the first pokeball clamped onto his belt as well. He took the sphere and smirked, his eyes boring into Gary's blue orbs challengingly. "Torterra, stand by for battle!"

The two fully-evolved starters glared at each other, sharing the same competitive electricity their masters possessed.

"Your move," Paul said icily, ready to steal away the victory.

Gary nodded, his forehead knotting with growing worry. He was confident in his very first pokemon, which had been leveled up beyond compare, but knew that it was nearly impossible to gain an easy win with a vicious type disadvantage. He shouldn't have assumed that judging from his aggron, Paul had himself a set of strong steel, rock, and ground-types. Still, he knew that Torterra was luckily a half ground-type. "Blastoise, let's start out with a Hydro Cannon!"

Eagerly obeying its master, the turtle pokemon set its massive cannons into gear and fired two spheres of water from them with almost blinding speed. From the opposite end of the stadium, Paul knew he had to act quickly, yet tried his best not to laugh at the water attack. "Torterra, absorb the attack, and get ready to use Giga Drain."

Luckily for Paul, Torterra didn't take much damage to the water-type move. At once, the three triangular spikes on its hefty back began to glow a vivid green hue, three jolts of energy preparing to aim towards Blastoise.

Gary snorted. "We're not waiting around for you, are we, Blastoise? Push away that Giga Drain with a Water Gun!"

Paul sighed as the Giga Drain was swallowed up by Blastoise's oncoming rush of water, which now covered the whole field. "Okay, Torterra, use Frenzy Plant now!"

The large grass-type slammed its feet into the ground once more, its body now outlined with a greenish glow. A jolt of spiky taupe roots shot out of the ground instantly, heading for the vexed turtle.

"Try to jump and dodge them, Blastoise!" Gary called nervously, caught a bit off guard.

But no avail. Two of the roots tangled around the water-type's chubby legs, locking them in a painful clasp. Blastoise soon crumbled to the floor once the prickly vines released its poor limbs, struggling to get up.

Paul smirked and reached over to pat Torterra's head. "Give up yet, Oak?"

Gary gritted his teeth. "Not quite. Blastoise, try and use a..."

The brunette's words caught in his throat as he noticed something strange about his pokemon. It somehow found a way to get up on its legs again, and gave a fateful roar before unleashing the largest and most powerful Ice Beam Gary had ever seen.

Paul felt his heart stop as he gaped at his grass-type, which had instantly fallen into a leafy heap after being covered with layers of ice. "What?!"

Gary grinned with glee and ran up to Blastoise, hugging him close. "Wow, I can't believe it! You learned Ice Beam! Awesome job, Blastoise." After calling the blue turtle back, he dared look at Paul's reaction, trying not to laugh with giddy victory.

Paul called back Torterra and strode steadily along to the center of the field, careful to avoid various rocks and boulders in the way. He outstretched his hand to meet Gary's and shook it firmly. "Nice match," he mumbled, attempting to be polite.

"You too," Gary replied. "Talk about great timing, huh," he added with a smirk.

Using almost all of the willpower it took him not to shove the harmlessly cordial boy aside, Paul gave a small grunt and stalked away. Although he would never admit it to his newest- and slightly irksome- rival, it had been a humiliating loss.

_Hmm_, he thought to himself as he prepared to meet Ash and a very rambunctious Barry in the stands, _Maybe winning this 'Points System' thing will be harder than I thought…_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, first of all, all you gamers, I apologize GREATLY for that terrible excuse for a battle. I'm so new to writing them, so I'd appreciate a little bit of constructive criticism. I just really needed an excuse for Gary to win, because I need Paul to become a little more eager to win this "Points System" game. I know I could've used their other pokemon, but I really thought it would be cool to have their fully-evolved starters battle each other. *Sigh*, I hope you don't hate me too much.**

**I know this chapter was a little off with the pacing, but it's only because it's still the first day and I'm writing for a LOT of characters, so it's going to be really difficult.**

**Can you guess who the girl with the long brown hair is, who's trying to avoid Ash and Gary? ;) And tell me how you liked the Brendan-Drew-May interaction! XD That's going to be a fun love triangle.**

**Reviews mean everything to me, guys! I'd really like to know what you think so far, or if I can possibly make things better in the future (like these battles). Okay, on to the next chapter!**

***OH AND I KNOW MAYLENE'S SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF YOUNG BUT I MADE HER OLDER BECAUSE I LIKE THAT PAIRING...just so nobody got creeped out about that. So instead of her being about 12, I made her around 22. xD**


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